It started with a Kitty
by joiedevivre2011
Summary: A five chapter with epilogue fic that originated from a tumblr post floating around about Maura having hooked up once upon a time with the reporter from the Pilot episode. Rated M...because that's always how it happens. [Complete with epilogue]
1. Kitty Vansen

There's a massive push on tumblr for this to be continued it seems. It started with the gif from the Pilot episode of Maura walking straight past Kitty (the reporter) as she says, "I'll have a statement for you later tonight, Kitty." pear-pressures reblogged with the caption _They totally hooked up once._

A pic fic was burning a hole in my brain.

So there you have it. I'm not sure how long this will be. It will probably be like Fives and Sixes length (there's seriously no need for this to be something like The Nanny), maybe a little longer word count-wise. I dunno. We'll see.

Anywho, enjoy!

* * *

"Every time we're at a crime scene and reporters are there, especially that Kitty…what's her last name?"

"Vansen," Maura replies absentmindedly, eyes glued to her book.

"Yeah, every time she's there, I mean, you just tell her the same thing you tell everyone else. 'I'll have a statement for you later,'" Jane muses. "But the way you say it to her is…I dunno. Different? And the way you walk right past her is weird, too. Like you can barely be bothered to acknowledge her existence."

After a moment Maura looks up from her book at Jane on the other end of the sofa. "I don't particularly care for her."

"Really? I couldn't tell," Jane says sarcastically.

Maura glares.

"Is it because she's from the media, or…?" Jane lets her voice trail off to allow her best friend to fill in the blank.

Making a 'hm' sound, the caramel blonde looks back down at her book and nonchalantly says, "We slept together once."

"_What?!" _Jane exclaims loudly.

Realizing the conversation is only just beginning at this point, Maura places her bookmark on the proper page and closes her book, setting it in her lap.

"What the hell do you mean you _slept_ together?"

"Obviously 'sleeping' with someone means—"

Quickly Jane interrupts, "I know what it means! Why didn't you tell me you've slept with women? Do you still?" Jane still looks stunned at this new information about her best friend.

"It's been several years now," Maura tells Jane. "In fact, Kitty was the last woman I slept with."

"I can't even believe I'm asking this, but what happened? When?" Jane asks hesitantly.

"A social function, a little too much wine, a bit of a sexual dry spell for me, and one very flirty, eager Kitty Vansen," Maura replies with a shrug. "It was roughly six and a half years ago."

"So, you didn't sleep with her after that? Was she _that_ terrible or something?" Half of Jane's face lifts in a slight wince.

"Oh, she was actually above average, I'd say, but I was seeking a one-time encounter and she was…_not_."

Jane sits there quietly for several moments, looking down at her hands as she rubs her left thumb back and forth across her right palm. "Okay, but that doesn't really explain why you act the way you do around her now."

"Well I suppose I'm Queen of the Dead in more ways than one," Maura replies half-jokingly.

"If you're referring to that cold demeanor people think you have, that's bullshit and you know it," Jane negates.

Maura sighs. "Not everyone sees the sides of me that you do, Jane."

"Well no, but—"

"She tried repeatedly to start something with me, but finally I got so annoyed that I had to tell her that it meant nothing but sex to me, which was the truth, and I've been aloof ever since, lest she get the idea that I've changed my mind." Maura recounts the story as if it were an everyday occurrence.

Jane breathes out hard. "Wow."

Opening up her book again and looking down at it, Maura deadpans, "So there you have it. I had sex with Kitty Vansen and I was clearly so good that she was practically begging for more."

"Maura!" Jane's eyes widen in surprise.

"I'm just being honest." She punctuates her statement with a shrug, glancing up briefly at her best friend.

"I've rubbed off on you too much."

_Not nearly enough_, Maura thinks to herself with a smirk as she hums noncommittally.

Jane's brow creases at the look on Maura's face. "At the risk of regretting asking another question, why haven't you slept with another woman since then?"

"I do believe I'll let you figure _that_ one out for yourself, Detective," the blonde replies.

* * *

Also...I'm a bit of an ass for starting more fics before updating and/or finishing others. Please accept my sincerest apologies.


	2. Questions

I hope this is to your liking. :)

* * *

"Dammit, Maura," Jane whines. "Please? Just tell me."

A heavy sigh escapes Maura's lips and she closes her eyes, frustrated. After a deep breath she reopens her eyes and replies, "I told you no two weeks ago when you first asked, no _begged_, me to tell you, and it's been no ever since."

"But why?"

"A variety of reasons, but the most prominent one being the fact that it's driving you insane and for the first time in the history of our friendship, I like deriving pleasure from it. It will also be much more rewarding for you, I think, if you figure it out yourself, but are you even trying?" Maura sets down her wine glass on the kitchen island. "Or are you just bugging me about it?"

Jane mumbles something under her breath.

"Please speak up. I didn't hear you," Maura replies, clearly amused.

A glare is what she receives in return.

"You're a detective, Jane, and a brilliant one at that. I think if you simply line up what you know and do your gumshoe thing, you can figure out why it is I haven't been with a woman since I slept with Kitty." She takes a small sip of her merlot. "Personally I think it's obvious, but clearly you do not."

"I hate you." Jane is almost at the point of pouting like a five year old.

Maura tries her hardest to hold back a laugh, her lips pressed together. "If that's what makes you feel better, keep telling yourself that, even though we both know it isn't true."

"How do _you _know?"

"When I see a look of scorn on your face directed at me, I'll start believing it."

Jane takes a long pull from her beer, her third of the night. "Yeah, well, I definitely hate your face reading thing at least."

Again Maura smiles. Genuine as the corners of her eyes wrinkle. "Now _that _I believe, but you only hate it when I'm using it on you." Another sip of her wine. "And even then, not always."

A heavy sigh. Then suddenly Jane's eyes light up and she snaps her fingers once as she points at her best friend. "Okay, twenty questions. Or as many as I can come up with if I can't make it to twenty."

All but rolling her eyes, Maura replies, "Fine. I'll indulge you."

"Maura, I've gotta lay my groundwork! Do my gumshoe thing!"

The blonde only waves her hand toward her best friend, signaling her to continue.

It's only seconds before Jane asks her first question. "How long have you been sleeping with women?"

Maura looks up briefly, thinking. "I started exploring my sexuality when I was 15, so more than 23 years now." She pauses. "Unless you don't count the last six and a half years."

"Whoa, what? Seriously?" Her eyebrow quirks. _News to me. Thanks, Maura._

"My mother's an artist, Jane. Do you think I was only exposed to heterosexual culture?" Maura laughs quietly. "After I started thinking that perhaps my feelings toward other girls weren't exactly platonic, I had women in my life I could talk to about it, ask questions, et cetera."

Jane considers this information, chewing on her bottom lip as she tries to decide on her next question. "Have you had relationships with women?" She looks to up to watch Maura's response.

Maura immediately nods. "Yes. Several, in fact."

"But not since we became friends, right? Because you would've told me if you had, or at least I'd like to think you would." _That's what best friends do after all. Or at least that's what I've always thought._

Licking her lips, Maura then replies, "Correct. I would have." She decides she needs another sip of her wine, wondering how long it will actually take before Jane connects the dots.

Jane stares at her beer bottle on the counter as she turns it at the neck with her thumb and forefinger. She knows she has to keep coming up with questions, but for some reason, they aren't coming easily. "Have you been on any dates since we met?" She looks up at Maura to watch her as she answers.

The answer is immediate. "Yes."

"Why didn't you ever tell me about them?"

"None of them went beyond a second date."

"Why not?"

Maura figuratively bites her tongue. _Because none of them could ever measure up to you._ "Just not compatible enough." She swirls the wine in her glass before drinking.

"Do you have a type?"

"No. A few preferences, yes, but no actual type." She smiles to herself as she thinks about the women she's been with. They were all appealing in their own ways.

Jane squints a bit in concentration. "Hm, okay. What are your preferences then?"

The blonde smiles, then says, "Intelligence, humor, a healthy lifestyle." She pauses briefly. "The next question is your tenth."

"What?" Jane's brow furrows. "No it's not. I've only asked you six."

"Every question you've asked that's required an answer counts, including follow-up questions, such as 'why not?'"

Dark brown eyes narrow.

"If there's intonation, it's a question, Jane."

"Ugh," Jane growls. "Fine." She drains the last of her beer. She nods toward Maura' nearly empty wine glass. "You want a refill? And that doesn't count as a question."

"Sure." She smiles warmly at her best friend and slides the glass toward her.

Jane remains silent as she gets up and moves around the kitchen to grab herself another beer and pour Maura more wine. She's thinking hard, desperately trying to come up with more questions. One very specific question forms in her mind, but she immediately dismisses it, partially because she thinks it's inappropriate, and partially because she doesn't think she wants to know the answer. _Not a chance in hell would that end well. Don't ask it._ When she finally sits back down, she hands Maura her wine and sets down her own drink. Finally she asks, "Why haven't you been with a woman since Kitty?"

Only a beat later and Maura laughs. "Nice try. You just wasted a question."

"Ehh, it was worth a shot." She shrugs lightly and her best friend a small smile. "Why didn't you feel compatible with the women you've been on dates with in the past few years?" She isn't sure how Maura is going to respond, but she's very curious to know.

_Because nobody's been as compatible as we are. No one can compare to our chemistry._ "My chemistry with them wasn't strong enough. We didn't always seem to be at the same points in life. Some women our age still don't want to settle down, get married, maybe have a family." She bites her lip and looks at the glass of wine in her hands. Almost as if ashamed to admit it, she quietly continues, "I'm ready for all of that."

"You want all of that with a woman?" Jane can't believe what she's hearing. In her eyes, she's always imagined Maura finding a husband, maybe having a kid, or at least adopting one. Never before has Maura led her to believe she wanted something otherwise.

"Yes," Maura says. "That's how I've envisioned my future for the last several years." _But only with you. Only because of you._

Something about her best friend's response cause alarm bells to sound in Jane's head, but she can't yet put her finger on why. Her next question terrifies her, but she has to ask it. "Why haven't you found someone? Well, I guess what I actually mean, are you still looking?" She sighs. "Never mind. I don't know what I mean. I can't figure out how to word it right." Annoyed with herself, Jane takes several long drinks from her beer.

"No, I'm not looking." No further elaboration comes from Maura and she doesn't want to answer the first question. She can't..

Jane sets down her beer and throws up her hands in frustration. "How the hell can you find someone if you're not looking?!"

Finding a satisfying response for Jane is difficult. If not worded properly, Maura could theoretically ruin things, or perhaps reveal more than necessary. It could backfire, which is the absolutely last thing the blonde wants. "I haven't felt the need to look." _I've already found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with._

There it is. The answer Jane knows means everything, even though she can't explain why it does. It's her gut feeling, and believe it or not, she sometimes hates when she can't explain it.

The same question she thought of while refilling their drinks crosses Jane's mind again. _No, I can't ask her that._ After a couple moments of silence, Jane knows she has to stop. "I'm all out of questions right now."

Maura knows she's lying.

* * *

My gf told me this was good, so if it's not, take it up with her! hahaha


	3. Secrets

"Hey, Ma?" Jane asks loudly as she closes the guesthouse door behind her.

"Kitchen!"

As Jane approaches the small but adequate kitchen area, Angela turns around from the sink and smiles. With a kiss to her mother's cheek, Jane snarkily asks, "Since when do you use your kitchen?"

When Jane quickly jumps away with a smirk on her face, Angela snaps the dish towel in her hand at her daughter's thigh. "Don't be such a smartass. I don't always use Maura's kitchen, I'll have you know."

The younger woman laughs. "I know. Just teasin'."

Angela briefly looks disapprovingly at her. She then says, "You sounded odd on the phone. Everything okay?"

With a shrug, Jane replies, "Yeah, I guess. I think."

"So no." Lips purse.

Running her long fingers through tangled waves, Jane sighs as she slides onto a backless barstool and then looks at her mother. "I just…I found out something from Maura and I don't know how I feel about it."

A flash of fear crosses the Rizzoli matriarch's face.

"Has she ever," Jane pauses and takes a deep breath before continuing, "talked to you about the dates she goes on?"

Angela nods as she approaches the other side of the island bar. "Sometimes. Why?"

"Did anything about any of them, I dunno, surprise you?" Elbow on the counter, chin resting on her hand, she looks down and scratches a fingernail on the hard, cool surface.

"Only one," Angela recounts. "I wasn't surprised after that."

"The first time she told you about a date with a woman?" the brunette offers, still not looking up.

"Yeah," Angela agrees. She quietly regards Jane for a moment. "You didn't know she likes women, did you?"

Tears cloud her deep brown eyes and she finally meets her mother's gaze. Lips pressed in a thin line, she swallows hard to try and clear the lump in her throat, fighting back the tears. "I thought we told each other everything. We're supposed to be best friends."

Angela reaches her hand across the counter and places it gently on top of Jane's. "Oh honey, you are, but you gotta admit, you have your secrets, too."

"Like what?" Jane's brow furrows.

"Allie Matthews," Angela replies.

Eyes widen as her hand nearly jerks away. "What?"

"Sweetheart, I'm not blind. I knew you were head over heels in love with that girl," she explains. "You were inseparable for nearly a year, Jane. You think I didn't notice how you acted when she graduated and left for college?"

Jane looks back down at the bar counter, biting her lip. "We didn't tell anybody. We were too afraid of what people would say."

Patting Jane's hand, she quietly replies, "I know."

"What makes you think I never told Maura about it?" She lifts her eyes to her mother's.

"Because I know you and I also know that Maura thinks you don't like women." She looks at Jane sternly and then pulls her hand away as she turns back toward the sink. The towel in her hand is rehung.

"I don't—"

"Angela?" comes Maura's voice from the front door. "Is Jane here?"

"Kitchen!" Jane and Angela reply simultaneously.

"Hi!" Maura greets warmly as she enters the area.

"Hey," Jane replies, smiling brightly.

"You still up for dinner and a movie?"

The brunette smiles apologetically. "Yeah, but I forgot, so I don't have anything to change into."

Maura dismisses it with a wave of her hand. "I cleaned those jeans you left her last week after you spilled wine on them."

"Oh, then perfect. Let's go," she replies as she pushes back from the bar and slides off the stool. She moves around the counter and kisses her mother on her cheek. "Bye, Ma. Thanks," she says quietly before turning toward Maura to leave with her.

"You're welcome. Think about what we talked about," Angela reminds her.

Jane looks back over her shoulder at her mother and nods with a sad smile.

* * *

"C'mon," Jane urges. "Share a pizza with me."

Maura sighs as she peruses the menu. "Only if we order a 12 inch and both get salad."

Shoulders slump as Jane groans. "You chose the movie and I can't choose dinner?"

With a roll of her eyes, the blonde replies, "You can choose dinner. I just would like to change it slightly. Please," she adds.

Reluctantly Jane agrees.

The blonde grins, her dimple popping.

"But we're getting ice cream after the movie." Jane grins back.

"Sometimes I am convinced you're a five year old, Jane." Maura laughs lightly and closes the menu.

"And yet you love me anyway."

"It seems I have no choice anymore." She takes a sip of her water to try and hide her smile. _I couldn't stop even if I tried_.

Maura's words make Jane's stomach flip flop and she looks down, blushing.

"Are you ladies ready to order?" the young server interrupts.

"Yes," Maura replies, looking up at the young man who couldn't be older than college-age. "Twelve inch pie, half pepperoni, half thyme roasted mushrooms. Traditional sauce. Would it also be possible to split a baby greens salad? I know it's probably small, but we'd like to if we could."

He smiles politely. "Not a problem! Would you like the garlic balsamic dressing or the red wine vinaigrette?"

"Actually could we get the house dressing? I like that one," Jane asks instead. "And could I also get a Smuttynose?"

The server nods and jots down the order.

"And a Terra di Cipressi," Maura adds.

He jots that down too. "Anything else?" He looks between them both with a smile.

"That's all. Thank you," Maura quietly answers as she hands him the menu.

"Will this be one check or two?" he asks as he takes them.

Immediately Maura replies, "One."

Jane begins to protest, which prompts her best friend to glance at her sternly.

"One," Maura repeats, looking up at the server with the smile, who nods and leaves.

"You paid last time!" Jane's brow furrows as she frowns.

"I could pay every time and still wouldn't mind." Her response is light and happy.

Jane sighs and looks down at her hands clasped together on the table. After several moments of silence, she finally speaks. "Sooo, you know that whole Kitty thing?" she asks hesitantly, glancing up. "There's something I should tell you."

Tension immediately floods Maura's body.

"Junior year of high school, I was in love with a girl named Allie Matthews," she confesses quietly before finally meeting Maura's curious eyes.

Relief settles in just as quickly as the tension arrived. "You never told me you—"

"I never told anyone," Jane interrupts quietly. "Doesn't mean other people didn't figure it out. Apparently. But we didn't _actually_ tell anyone."

"Is she the only one?" Maura inquires. "The only girl you've been with?"

"Um, technically, yeah," Jane replies.

Just then a busser delivers their drinks and they both thank the woman before she slips away.

The brunette quietly watches Maura as she takes a tentative sip of her wine. She can tell that Maura is about to ask a follow up question and she has a good idea what it is. "About four years ago she was in town for a conference for a week and we ran into each other at Boston Joe's. Coffee led to a lunch date, which led to a dinner date, and it kinda just went from there."

"Well. It looks like we've both had our own little secrets." Maura smiles hesitantly.

"And I bet we both have plenty more to tell." Jane swallows hard.

With a glint in her eye, Maura raises her wine glass across the table and says, "To revealing our secrets."

Jane smirks and raises her pint glass, gently clinking it against Maura's. "To revealing our secrets," she repeats.


	4. Three Times

Beta extraordinaire really liked the last bit. I hope you do, too. :)

* * *

Exiting the theater, Jane loops her arm through Maura's and excitedly exclaims, "I can't believe you took me to see Age of Ultron."

Maura rolls her eyes, but smiles nevertheless and places her hand on Jane's, resting on the crook of her arm. "I do enjoy a wide variety of films, Jane." She laughs lightly as she turns her head slightly toward her best friend. "They don't have to be academic."

"I know," the brunette agrees as they make their way down the sidewalk away from the building. "But dinner was my choice and you could technically argue that the movie was mine, too."

"So we can skip ice cream then?" Maura deadpans.

Dark eyes widen. "What? No!" Jane refutes.

"I know, I'm teasing you." Glancing down at her watch, Maura then says, "Oh, but we better hurry though. Toscanini's closes in 20 minutes."

"Walk faster!" Jane then lengthens her strides, her hand sliding down Maura's forearm to her hand, grasping it tightly to pull her along. Maura has to shuffle forward quickly to catch up.

"Jane!" Maura laughs heartily. "We're only about five minutes away. Slow down a little!" She tries to lessen the pace, pulling Jane's arm backwards.

"Fine," Jane groans, her hand returning to its previous place at the crook of Maura's arm as she slows to match the blonde's strides.

After several long moments of walking in silence, Maura quietly asks, "Why didn't you ever tell me about Allie?"

Jane breathes in deeply and shrugs. "I don't really talk about her."

Maura bites her lip. "Why not?"

"Nobody knew, and after things ended, I just kinda dealt with it by myself because I would've had to have told people something I didn't really want to," Jane explains quietly. "After a while, when I finally got over it, ya know, I figured there just wasn't any point, especially if I didn't date another woman."

"I still wish you'd told me," Maura replies, voice barely above a whisper, looking down at the ground as they walk.

"I wish you'd told me about your dates," Jane says in return, though her tone conveys only disappointment, no bitterness.

"I wish I had, too. I'm sorry I didn't," Maura tells her. After a moment's pause, she says, "It's strange to think that even after all these years of friendship there's still so much we don't know about each other."

Jane laughs lightly. "Tell me something I don't know about you then."

"I actually really like pepperoni pizza," the blonde confesses.

"You said it's disgusting!" Jane's jaw drops.

"Well it is, health-wise," Maura argues. "But it does taste good."

With a laugh, Jane replies, "I have a confession to make, too." She pauses. "I already knew that."

"What?" Maura exclaims. "How?"

"Because you look at my half of the pizza like you haven't eaten for weeks." Jane smiles.

"I do not," Maura denies.

"Did you take some Allegra today to combat the hives you're about to get?"

With a heavy sigh, Maura concedes, "I wasn't aware that _that_ was the look I have on my face, but from now on I will attempt to control it."

"Or you could just indulge yourself for once," Jane suggests. "You eat healthy stuff the rest of the time."

"I'll consider it." After a short pause, Maura says, "Tell me something about you."

"What do you want to know?"

"Technically it's not about you, but…tell me about Allie?" the blonde asks hesitantly.

"God, she was gorgeous," Jane replies automatically, blushing profusely as she looks down at the ground as they walk, embarrassed at the strength of her statement. "She transferred to my school midway through my sophomore year, her junior year. She was pretty much immediately the star of the tennis team. Had a backhand almost as good as Venus Williams, I swear. Frankie was friends with her little brother, which is how we met. She picked him up one morning after a sleepover."

"Did you know immediately that you liked her?"

"As a person, yeah. We started hanging out, but it wasn't until the beginning of my junior year that I realized what it was I felt. One time we were lying in bed at her house, talking and giggling like idiots when we should've been trying to sleep, and she kissed me. It was the best kiss I'd ever had. At least by then."

"What made you fall in love with her?"

"She was so damn smart, though not as much as you are. She had this weird sense of humor like mine," Jane tells her best friend. "And watching her play tennis was just…"

"Sexy?" Maura offers.

"I was gonna say something more along the lines of 'mesmerizing,'" Jane says. "But sexy works too, I guess. She just had this intense and determined attitude about it. You could tell tennis was everything to her."

"Like you when you're in the middle of a case?"

"What?" Jane almost trips over her own feet as she looks sharply at Maura. _Wait, does she mean I'm sexy? Or that I'm intense and determined?_

"When you get a case, especially if it's a tough one, you throw your entire being into it. You live and breathe your job almost all of the time, but when you're especially challenged by it, it seems as if it's the only thing in existence for you."

Before Jane can reply, Maura realizes they are in front of the ice cream shop and she quickly pulls open the door for them both to enter, forcing them to break contact.

"My treat," Jane says quietly as they approach the counter. "What do you want?"

Quickly Maura glances at the menu and two flavors peak her interest. "Should I get strawberry sorbet or green tea?"

The brunette immediately makes a fake snoring sound. "Boring!" It prompts Maura to pinch her lightly on the arm.

"Fine! Order for me then," she replies.

A dark eyebrow rose quickly. "That's a dangerous game you're playing, Maura."

_You don't know what dangerous is, Jane_. "Tonight I suppose I'll indulge myself," the caramel blonde replies with a grin.

"Two mango sorbets," Jane says to the expectant cashier, her eyes never leaving Maura's.

Maura looks at her in surprise.

Lips lift into a smirk and Jane shrugs as she pulls her wallet from her jeans pocket, turning to hand her debit card to the young woman. "Another secret: sometimes I like to order healthier things just to see that look on your face."

Butterflies flit around Maura's stomach. _I think I fall for you more every time you do it, too_. "I can't decide if I should be offended by that or not."

Letting out a disbelieving scoff, Jane replies, "Why would you be offended? Because I order the healthy stuff to just shock you?" She cocks an eyebrow. "Who cares what my reason for it is?"

"Fair point. As long as I'm getting you to eat better."

Jane fake scowls, but she is unable to hold it for long before the smile cracks through.

They leave the shop and quickly find a bench just down the block to rest and enjoy their sorbets.

After a minute of silence, just eating their frozen treats, Jane finally says, "Tell me about your first love."

Maura slowly finishes the bite of sorbet, the tip of the spoon popping slightly as it exits her mouth. She looks pensive. "My first love was Garrett actually."

Jane's eyes nearly bug out of her head and she turns sharply to look at her best friend. "Seriously?"

Shrugging, Maura says, "That doesn't mean I didn't date before him, or have relationships, but I never fell in love with anyone before him."

After a bite of her own sorbet, Jane quietly says, "Well, at least you dodged a bullet with that one."

Maura sighs. "It's still hard to reconcile the man I fell in love with in college with the one who could actually murder his own brother."

"I hated that case," Jane says. "For a lot of reasons." She swallows hard. "But the biggest reason was because of it coming in between us."

"I told you I had your back."

"No, no. I know you did," Jane says, then takes the final bite of her sorbet. "You proved that. I just hate that I ever doubted you in the first place."

"We can't change what happened, Jane." She looks at the brunette. "But I think it made our friendship better."

Jane's dimples appear immediately. "Yeah, I think so, too."

Maura finishes her sorbet and rises from the bench. "Home?" she asks quietly as she turns to face Jane and reaches for her hand.

"Tell me one last thing," Jane replies, grasping her hand and standing. "How many people have you been in love with?"

"Three," the blonde says as she turns and walks away, her hand slipping from Jane's. She tosses her trash into a nearby bin.

Immediately Jane follows, disposing of hers, too. "Wait, so Garrett, Ian, and who's the third?"

"Ah, Detective," Maura says with a smile, this time linking her arm through Jane's as they continue down the sidewalk back toward the Prius. "I do believe that one's linked to why I haven't been with a woman since Kitty."

Jane stops suddenly and Maura turns to face her, her arm pulling free. "So basically what you're saying is you've been in love with someone since we've been friends."

Maura gives her a sad smile. "Yes."

"But you're not dating this person."

Maura shakes her head no.

"So you knew this person and they left or something? Because you'd be dating them otherwise, right?" Despair crosses Jane's face. "Oh god, were you in love with Frost?"

"What? No!" Maura's face contorts into an expression that clearly says Jane's statement is the most ridiculous assumption, but the look quickly turns to sadness. "I miss him though," Maura says quietly, looking down at the ground.

Jane tries to swallow the sudden lump in her throat. "Me too."

Maura turns around and the two resume their journey back to Maura's car.

"You said you imagined spending your life with a woman. That's what you told me the night you told me about Kitty," Jane recalls. "So the person you're in love with is a woman?"

"Mhm," comes Maura's affirmation.

"Hm," Jane says. A moment later she muses, "Ya know, Frost said something to me once that I never could figure out what he meant."

The correlation is completely lost on Maura, but she trusts Jane enough to continue with the conversation. "And that was…?" she asks.

"He said, 'Don't throw something away just because you're afraid of what will happen,'" Jane recalls.

"That's it? He didn't say anything else about it?"

Jane shakes her head no. "No, and the timing was a little strange," She laughs, but there's no amusement in the sound. "Actually, it was when you and I weren't talking after the warehouse thing."

_Was Frost talking about me?_ Maura wonders. "You still haven't figured out what he meant?"

"I mean, all I could figure at the time was he was talking about my friendship with you, but I didn't understand the part about being afraid of what will happen." _C'mon, Jane. You know who Maura's in love with. Just ask her. You can't be afraid anymore._

"So you do know what he meant," Maura says quietly.

They arrive at Maura's Prius. "I do now," Jane says, leaning back against the front passenger door and folding her arms across her chest.

"What did he mean then?" Maura has to remind herself to breathe as she stands on the curb in front of Jane.

"He was talking about me being afraid of admitting that," Jane begins before her voice turns raspy and she must clear her throat. "That I'm in love with you," she finishes, her voice barely audible.

Maura doesn't look surprised at Jane's confession. She regards her best friend for several moments. "You're afraid of me not feeling the same way," she finally says.

Breaking eye contact, Jane looks down at her feet. "And I'm afraid of you feeling the same way, because what would my mother think? My brothers? Korsak? What if it means we can't work together on cases anymore? What if—"

"Jane," Maura interrupts as she steps off the curb, immediately in Jane's personal space. "You're the reason why I haven't slept with another woman since Kitty."

"I know," Jane replies, not looking up. "I kinda figured that out."

Maura opens her mouth to speak again, but Jane interrupts.

"Ma told me that you thought I didn't like women." Finally she meets glittering golden green eyes.

"I didn't, until one day, maybe about a year ago, it finally hit me that you look at me in a very specific way sometimes, and I thought maybe, just maybe, at the very least you liked _me_," Maura says quietly. "But then another part of my brain convinced me that I might just be projecting the hope that you did, that I was seeing things simply because I wanted to see them."

Jane takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. "Did you know that _I_ have only ever been in love three times?"

"Allie and Casey," Maura says quietly, then breathes in. "And me."

A nod from Jane.

"There's nobody I'd rather have beside me the rest of my life than you," Maura admits softly. "With or without marriage, with or without kids. It doesn't matter to me." She shrugs, eyes never straying from Jane's darkened eyes. "I can't imagine my future without you in it."

Jane swallows hard. "I'm wearing a Red Sox jersey," the brunette replies, hands coming to rest on Maura's hips.

Maura's brow furrows as she wraps her arms around Jane's neck, their torsos now flush against each other. She shakes her head slightly, brow still furrowed. "What?"

"If we get married, I'm wearing a jersey," Jane repeats.

A look of aghast appears on Maura's face. "You most certainly will not!"

"Then I don't wanna get married," Jane replies, feigning an air of finality.

Maura sighs. "You can wear one for the reception. I'd really rather avoid having to deal with your mother about you not wearing something more traditional in the ceremony."

Jane squints and looks pensively at Maura for a few moments, the corner of her mouth curled up while she considers the offer. "Deal," she finally agrees. "I don't wanna deal with her either."

With a hearty laugh, Maura leans forward. "I think the next time I see Kitty Vansen I'm going to thank her," the blonde muses.

"I think the next time I see her, I'm going to rub it in her face that I got the girl," Jane replies smugly.

Eyes roll. "You're impossible," Maura says.

"I know!" Jane says, then grins.

Maura glances down at Jane's lips and back up to dark eyes. She swallows hard and hesitantly closes the distance between their lips, though not quite touching. "Three times, huh? I think the third time's the charm, don't you?"

Jane laughs only briefly before she presses her lips to Maura's. They kiss for only a few seconds, tenderly. As they both smile into the kiss, Jane slowly pulls back. "Looks like I hit a home run on what could've been third strike."

This time Maura laughs. "Yeah, I'd say so, too," she jokes before she leans in again.

* * *

Maybe 2 more chapters? With the last being an epilogue, I think.

Let me know your thoughts!


	5. In the Morning

I didn't realize how long it'd been since I last updated. It took forever to get this chapter to where I was okay with it though. It just didn't quite feel right! I hope you enjoy. Epilogue is next.

* * *

Jane wakes slowly, desperately trying to hold onto the tendrils of sleep. The sunlight streaming in through the open curtains is blinding as she cracks open one eye. "Oh god," she groans, firmly squeezing her eyes shut. "The sun is evil. Kill it." She rolls onto her other side to face Maura.

Who isn't there.

If she were sitting up, her shoulders would slump. As it is, she sighs and feels the bed for warmth, but finds none. Listening hard, she hears the distinct sound of the shower and smiles to herself. Just then, the water ceases and Jane looks toward the bathroom door, which is standing halfway open. _Ah shit, I missed the chance of sneaking into the shower._

Maura then comes into view and the sight before Jane makes her breath catch.

Her best friend is still naked, facing the double sinks, showing Jane the profile of her body. A round, clearly toned backside. Large, pert breasts, nipples relatively small and hardened. Damp strands of hair cling to her back, clavicle, and chest.

With a glance toward the bedroom, Maura then does a double take as she notices that Jane is sitting up in bed and looking at her, her jaw slack. When their eyes finally meet, Maura smiles knowingly. "You're staring," the woman comments.

The words shake Jane out of her daze and she blushes, looking down in embarrassment. "Sorry," she mumbles.

"I didn't mean that in a negative way," Maura then says, reaching for her silk robe on the counter and slipping it on before tying it closed. Opening the door fully, she reenters the bedroom and approaches the bed, standing next to it on her side of it. "You can definitely look, if you'd like to."

Jane clears her throat and looks back up to meet sparkling hazel eyes. "Sorry. I just, I didn't think the first time seeing you naked would be like...this."

Brow furrowed, Maura asks, "How'd you think it would be?"

"I just thought it'd be during sex." She shrugs.

"Are you disappointed?"

"Hell no," Jane replies with a quiet laugh. "Believe me when I say my view just now was fantastic." Throwing the covers back, she scoots over to the side of the bed, legs dangling over the edge with Maura standing between them. Head tilted back to keep eye contact, Jane settles her hands on Maura's silk-clad hips. After several moments, her left hand smoothly inches its way down Maura's thigh to the robe's hem, only a few inches above the knees.

Maura breathes in deeply as she feels Jane's hand slip underneath the fabric and creep up her thigh. As a thumb grazes over her hip bone, Maura sucks in a breath and her eyes flutter closed.

"You are so damn beautiful, Maura," Jane says, voice barely above a whisper.

The sound that comes from the standing woman is a mix between a hum and a whimper.

Observing her best friend closely, Jane asks, "Is it okay that we didn't have sex last night?"

"Of course it is," the blonde replies, eyes opening, meeting darkened, inquisitive eyes. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Jane shrugs, lips curling into a small smile. "No reason. I just wanted to make sure."

"If you keep touching me like that though," Maura states, "I cannot be held responsible for my body's reactions."

"Well, maybe I want your body to react," the brunette says quietly as she drags her fingers along Maura's bikini line toward the inside of her thigh, her thumb leading.

"I thought you said-" She then gasps as Jane's thumb moves slightly farther.

"I only said we shouldn't last night since everything was a lot to take in, ya know?" Jane explains. "Which is true." A smirk then appears. "I simply failed to mention that I just really like morning sex."

Maura's eyes chastise the brunette, but then show amusement. A pink tongue flicks out to lick her lips and her eyebrow raises suggestively. "Lucky for you, then." Staring into dark eyes with widened pupils, Maura reaches for the sash of her robe and begins to slowly untie it. "I like morning sex, too."

Jane raises her left hand, holding up her index finger. "Hold that thought for a minute, okay?" She stands up quickly, hands moving to her soon-to-be lover's hips to guide her backwards slightly, and then steps around the woman, dashing into the bathroom.

Only a few seconds later, Maura hears water running from the sink faucet. She turns to face the bathroom door and sits on the edge of the bed, crossing her right leg over her left as she tries to wait patiently.

Moments later the bathroom door opens and Jane reenters the room. "Sorry," the woman says sheepishly. "Morning breath."

Uncrossing her legs, Maura pushes herself further onto the bed and braces her arms behind her, causing her robe to fall open more, though not fully exposing her breasts. Her legs are parted slightly, revealing a neatly trimmed, light brown patch of hair at the apex of her thighs.

"Wow," Jane breathes out. "You are...wow. " Her eyes wander from Maura's eyes to her lips, neck, and chest. The silk robe falls perfectly across Maura's breasts, just barely covering hardened nipples. Her observation continues down Maura's stomach to her navel and finally to between her thighs. She swallows hard.

The blonde smiles. "I do try to maintain my physical appearance the way I like to look."

With a deep breath, Jane nods. "Yeah, that's...definitely working for you."

"You're quite sexy too, you know," Maura says softly. "I know you think a tank top and shorts are nothing special, but it shows off your toned arms and long-" Her eyes travel the length of Jane's hips to her toes. "_Long_ legs." She breathes in deeply and releases it slowly as she bites her lip.

Wordlessly Jane steps toward the bed and crawls onto it slowly, a predatory look across her face. Maura shifts further backwards onto the bed, against the pillows, which prompts Jane to follow her. As Jane positions herself on all fours over her, Maura rests her head finally against the pillows, not even caring that her hair is still wet and uncombed.

Straddling Maura's thighs, Jane sits back and upright, looking down intensely at the blonde. With a smirk she unhurriedly pulls open Maura's silk robe to reveal her breasts. "So many freckles," Jane murmurs.

An amused expression appears on the reclined woman's face as she places her hands on Jane's thighs. "You've seen me in a bikini. You know I have freckles."

"S'not the same," she replies, trailing her left hand fingers lightly along the swell of the underside of Maura's breast before moving down slowly to circle her belly button. Her eyes watch the movement. "Plus now I know for sure your boobs are as perfect as I thought they were."

The light touch causes Maura to shiver and goosebumps to bloom on her skin. Her eyes flutter closed as she exhales shakily. Her nipples harden even more and the hum of pleasure from her throat is involuntary. She feels Jane shift slightly and the bed dip at her sides before wet warmth closes over a nipple, causing her to gasp. "Jane," Maura moans. Hands then cling to Jane's sides, nails creating crescents indentions in tan skin.

Peppering kisses on her lover, Jane makes her way up a heavily freckled chest and neck. "You smell so good," she murmurs between kisses.

"It's the citrus verbena from Occitan en Pro-"

"I know," Jane interrupts, sitting upright.

Maura opens her eyes.

"We've been best friends for years," Jane explains. "I know what body washes you use. When you run out of that one, I'm 100 percent sure you've got a bottle of thé vert and bigarade to use."

"How do you know which body washes-"

"You're methodical," Jane says with a laugh. "You like routine, but you also don't want to get bored, so your routine has variation in a pattern, at least for your body wash."

"You are an excellent detective, Jane Rizzoli."

With a small smile and a shrug, she says, "Yeah, that's what they tell me."

"Now, do you want to get this show on the road?" Maura asks quietly, smirking.

"More than you know, " Jane replies, leaning back down to kiss Maura's neck.

Maura whimpers.

"I know that sound," the brunette says low into her ear. "That's your spot, isn't it? Kiss you here-" She pauses and places a kiss there in the same spot. "And you're putty in my hands?"

Sucking in a breath, Maura's nails dig once more into Jane's sides as she exhales, "Jane."

"My name sounds good on your lips like that," Jane murmurs in her ear.

"Touch me," Maura breathes out.

"Patience," Jane says softly, kissing back along Maura's jaw line to her mouth.

"I want you," Maura replies. "Please. I've already been patient."

Without a word Jane slips her left hand between their bodies, fingers sliding slowly down Maura's smooth abdomen to the small patch of coarse hair. She continues kissing Maura's neck as she pushes past, finally, to cup her hand over her lover. "Fuck, you're so wet," she murmurs as she dips her fingers between wet labia before dragging the arousal up to Maura's clit.

The blonde's body shudders, eyes rolling back in her head, as Jane touches her where she's wanted it most. "Oh god," she chokes out.

"Tell me how you want it," Jane gently orders. "Slow? Fast?"

"Hmm uh, slow," Maura requests. "I'm in no hurry."

Grinning to herself, Jane removes her hand and begins to crawl backwards over her lover's body, placing kisses along soft breasts, a smooth abdomen..

Maura's eyes open immediately, seeking Jane's.

Briefly smirking, Jane's tongue then dips just barely into Maura's belly button.

A sharp exhale and a trembling stomach. Eyes squeezing shut. A bitten lip.

The sounds and subtle movements of her lover's body spur Jane onward. She trails light kisses down to Maura's lower belly.

"Slow," Maura begins, though her breath quickly catches, "does not mean tease."

Jane lets out a soft snort. "You think this is teasing?" She lifts her head, looking up as she meets Maura's now open eyes. "Oh, I can show you teasing." An eyebrow quirks upward.

Maura threads her fingers through dark locks, finding light purchase on her lover's head. "Let's save that for another day."

"Aye aye, Chief," Jane replies dutifully, smirking. She resumes her descent down Maura's body, finally settling on her stomach as she wraps her arms around Maura's thighs, pulling them open wider.

As Maura closes her eyes, preparing herself for the oncoming sensations, she murmurs, "Isn't the saying 'aye, aye, Capt-ohhh." She moans as the tip of Jane's tongue flicks lightly over her clit a few times. Fingers tighten their grip in Jane's hair.

Pausing, Jane lifts her head to look at her lover. "But you're Chief, not Captain," she replies, before lowering her mouth once more to Maura.

"Yes, yes, I am," Maura replies breathily. "And as Chief Medical Ex-" A gasp. "Of the Commonweal-oh god! Of Massachusetts, I request that you not stop what you're doing."

Jane's only response is to close her mouth fully over Maura and suck lightly on her clit.

"Mmhmm." The blonde then harshly sucks in a breath and her breathing is staccato for several seconds. She tightens her grip in Jane's hair. "Yes!"

A satisfied feeling grows in Jane's chest and she can't help but smirk. For several minutes she alternates between flicking her tongue over Maura's clit and sucking it lightly.

Whimpers and incoherent murmurs of encouragement continuously fall from Maura's lips.

It isn't until Maura's breathing becomes harsher and her hips begin to roll lightly against Jane's mouth that Jane uncurls her left arm from around her lover's thighs and presses two fingers to Maura's entrance, teasing slowly.

"Inside. Please," Maura pleads. Jane continues teasing her, prompting her to pull lightly on Jane's hair and repeat her request. When the brunette finally complies, Maura lets out a long, low moan. When long fingers begin to curl inside her, her whimpers and encouraging murmurs return.

Merely a minute later, just as Jane presses hard against her g-spot and sucks on her clit, Maura's hands grapple for the bedsheets, gripping them hard as she comes with a long, loud moan, her hips bucking against her lover's mouth.

* * *

"You'll never guess who I saw when I was picking up our lunch." With a fork Jane pokes at a piece of tofu in her stir fry and her nose scrunches at the thought of having to eat it, but it also helps to hide the smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Well yes, I never would considering I don't guess," Maura points out.

"Figure of speech. C'mon, Maura!" Jane rolls her eyes.

The blonde's nose twitches in amusement. "I'm sorry. Continue. You saw someone?"

Jane clears her throat and nods, smirking. "Kitty Vansen."

With a groan, Maura's shoulders slump as her eyes close. "Please tell me you behaved," Maura pleads, reopening her eyes to look at her lover. "As much as I don't care for her-"

"Oh I did," Jane assures her. "I said something, but I still behaved. Well, I was discreet at least. Kinda"

The blonde's left hand rises to her forehead as her eyes close, her thumb pressing into her temple in anticipation of possible headache. "Oh my god," Maura groans.

"I told her - and I quote - 'Off the record here, but I definitely understand why you wanted more with Maura.'"

Maura's right hand then mirrors her left and she sighs heavily.

"Yeah, her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. Then she said, 'I knew it! I knew you two were-' But then I cut her off. Told her we weren't a thing...not yet. Officially anyway." For some reason Jane can't help but find it amusing.

"I can't believe you!" Maura knows the look on her face is akin to anger, but in reality, she has very mixed feelings about what her lover did. "What if she starts telling people about-"

"Nope. I told her if she valued her career, she'd keep her mouth shut about us."

"This just keeps getting worse and worse." An unpleasant, unknown feeling grows in Maura's chest. She looks to Jane as she picks up her wine glass and takes a hearty sip.

"You know what she told me?" When she sees the negative reaction her best friend is having to the story, Jane immediately changes her words. "No, Maura, this is the best part. This will make you feel better, I swear."

"What could she possibly have said to make any of that better?" the blonde replies, exasperated.

"She said she didn't understand why for a long time, but a few years ago, I guess after you and I had been friends for awhile, she saw us out somewhere at dinner."

Maura's brow furrows in confusion.

"And she told me that she finally understood that you two couldn't have had anything because, and god, this is so damn cheesy, obviously your heart had been waiting for me. In the abstract, considering you didn't know me when you, you know."

Dark pink lips purse. "Okay, that is a bit trite, but the way I feel about you...our friendship - relationship," Maura corrects. "It's what I've always imagined when I've thought the person I've always wanted to spend my life with, though I'm still undecided whether or not I believe in soulmates."

Jane dramatically gasps. "Maura! Didn't you just tell me the other night that you couldn't imagine anyone else by your side for the rest of your life?"

Maura blushes and looks down. "Yes," she mumbles.

"Then you believe in soulmates," Jane replies quietly.

After a few seconds, Maura looks up and smiles.


	6. Epilogue

And here we are! Thank you for following along with this story to the end!

* * *

_14 months later_

"Speech! Speech! Speech!" several guests cry out, accompanied by light taps on champagne flutes with their spoons.

Jane turns her head slightly toward Maura and quietly asks, "You or me?"

"You go first so you can get it over with. I know you hate speeches," the other woman replies, just loud enough for Jane to hear.

"I mean, I could just not do one," Jane timidly suggests.

"Not a chance." Maura raises an eyebrow.

With a sigh, Jane rises from her chair, her own champagne flute held tightly in both hands, and clears her throat. "I'm not a big fan of giving speeches, so we'll see how this goes," Jane jokes, chuckling nervously.

Most of the guests chuckle with her.

The standing woman takes a deep breath, turns her head to look down at Maura, who smiles up at her, biting her lip. "Maura would say," Jane begins, before turning back to look out at everyone, "that I should start with thanking everyone for being here today. So thank you. I _am_ grateful that you're with us, especially since the Sox are playing the Yankees tonight." Jane scrunches her nose in disdain.

Again everyone laughs.

Nervous, Jane looks down at the glass in her hand, trying not to fidget with it. Her mind is going a million miles an hour with thought after thought of where to start and what she should say. After a deep breath, she calms he chatter in her mind and lifts her head to meet everyone's gazes. "I'm not sure how many of you know the story of when Maura and I first met, but it's definitely something for our personal history books." She then pauses. "I was in the Division One cafe trying to buy a cup of coffee and a donut, but cranky ol' Stanley wouldn't sell me anything because I didn't have enough money. I may have been undercover in Vice as a hooker at the time, but he knew I was good for it normally. Next thing I know, here comes this fancily dressed woman wearing blue latex gloves, holding out a couple of folded up dollar bills for me to take." Jane smirks. "Clearly she thought I had cooties."

"I couldn't possibly have known that you were an officer, Jane," Maura interjects. "I was simply taking precaution."

"Of course," the brunette says, looking down briefly at her wife with a smile. "The exact conversation we had is a bit fuzzy, but that's how we first met. Once I transferred to homicide, she learned that I was _not_ a hooker and obviously we started working together on cases. At first, I found her penchant for doing everything so thoroughly by the book a bit irritating, but after awhile, her little quirks started growing on me. Every now and then we'd grab coffee, but that was about it. It was merely weeks after that when I had my first encounter with Hoyt." Jane clears her throat.

Without a word, Maura places her hand on Jane's forearm, looking up at her with concern.

Jane looks down at her and tries to swallow the lump in her throat before smiling hesitantly. Maura's hand returns to her champagne glass. "When I was cleared for duty, one of my first few days back, Maura and I were talking about a case over coffee when she noticed I kept balling my fists. My hands hurt like hell and the forecast was calling for heavy snow. She simply looked at me and said, 'Your hands hurt.' Not a question at all. She then reached across the table and began to work absolute magic on my hands. I didn't even stop her."

All of the guests are silent as they listen. The mood has become somber.

When the brunette looks back up, her eyes immediately find her family and look between each of them before they settle on Korsak. "Nobody knew, but that was the first time I had let anyone touch my hands since the day it happened. I wouldn't even let my physical therapist." Jane stops and looks down again at Maura for several long moments, tears gathering in her eyes. "I should've realized then that she was going to be a big part of my life."

Maura closes her eyes and smiles at the memory. That moment had been the catalyst for their friendship.

"Next thing I knew, we were having coffee together almost every day, going out to lunch and drinks after work. That was almost six years ago and I know it sounds cliche, but they have honestly been the best six years of my life."

"So far," Maura butts in, opening her eyes as she grins up at Jane.

"So far," Jane echoes. She breathes in deeply as everyone chuckles at them. "I have no doubt that life is only going to get better because now Maura's stuck with me."

Maura rolls her eyes. "Personally I'd call it a privilege to be your wife, not a punishment."

"Let's see if you're still saying that in five years," Frankie calls out, grinning.

Everyone laughs.

"I have an excellent comeback for that, but now is neither the time nor the place," the blonde replies.

"That means it's dirty," Jane jokes.

"Jane!" Maura scolds, lightly slapping her wife's thigh with the back of her hand.

"Kidding, kidding!" Jane smiles. "Actually, it probably has about half a dozen words none of us have ever heard."

Maura sighs, eyes closing as she shakes her head.

"Anyway, now that I've officially ruined my badass reputation by being all mushy, I'm gonna let Maura take over. Thank you all again for being here to celebrate with us," she says, turning her head to look at the seated blonde, "and thank you, Maura, for being the most wonderful best friend and wife I could ever have asked for." She moves her drink glass and gently touches it against Maura's.

Many clinks reverberate throughout the room.

After her wife sits down, Maura leans over and kisses her gently, right hand pressed against Jane's cheek as she murmurs "I love you" against her lips. When she pulls back, Jane is already smiling at her. However, she leans forward again to whisper in her wife's ear, "You're still a badass and tonight you can show me just how much."

The brunette's cheeks redden. "Maura!" The words are a hissing whisper between clenched teeth. Nevertheless, as the blonde woman stands, Jane reaches for Maura's hand on her face, grasping it gently with her own and placing a light kiss to a soft palm.

Tears gather in hazel eyes and Maura has to take a deep breath to rein in her emotions. She then takes her champagne flute in both hands and turns to face their guests. "Whew," Maura begins, momentarily brushing her left hand across her forehead, "I'm not sure how to follow that speech." Turning her head, her eyes lower to meet her wife's and their gazes remain locked for several seconds. "Jane is…" She looks to everyone before them. "I think I may spend my entire life trying to find the words that best describe what she means to me because none will ever be sufficient, which says a lot for me."

Beside Maura, Jane softly snorts at the truth in such a statement.

"She is without a doubt the most amazing person I've ever known. The story of how we met may be a bit odd, but I think it suits us. If you haven't noticed," Maura says, "Jane and I are anything but traditional. How we met, how we became friends, how we began our relationship - we've done everything in our own way."

"I'd say so," Jane interrupts, "seeing as you're letting me wear a Red Sox jersey right now."

Most of the guests laugh at the comment.

Choosing not to rise to the bait, Maura simply smiles and continues. "Before Jane, I never had a best friend. I had no idea what I'd been missing out on, and I have to say I got extremely lucky the first time. Not only did I find my best friend, I found the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Even more than that, I was willing to wait for her as long as it would take. It may have taken a bit longer than I expected, seeing as piecing together clues is what Jane does best, but we eventually got there." Looking down to her side at her wife, she adds, "While we've been through some horrific moments together, the good times far outweigh the bad. These past six years have also been the best of my life."

"So far," Jane chimes in.

Maura chuckles. "Yes, so far."

Poking the blonde in her thigh, Jane whispers, "Wrap it up, I'm starving, babe."

Once again Maura addresses the guests. "I'm being instructed to hurry up and finish because my wife is hungry. I think we all know what happens when she is."

Laughter spreads through the room.

"I cannot express how grateful I am that you all took time out of your busy lives to be here today. We know it isn't easy to do." Maura smiles and lifts her glass in the air. "I propose a toast to new beginnings. They are oftentimes the most joyful moments in life."

As everyone raises their champagne flutes, Maura concludes, "I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening. Thank you."

With those words, Maura sits down, shifting her upper body to face Jane.

Immediately Jane's hands tangle in her wife's hair and she pulls her close, kissing her as fiercely as she can in the company of all their friends and loved ones. Once satiated, she pulls back and rests her forehead against Maura's, "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

* * *

That was so ridiculously sappy. Gah. I hope you enjoyed this fic though!


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